Sunday, March 27, 2011

Swim

Yesterday morning I went to check out a bit of coastline not far from the house that might have some potential for bouldering. The rock is mostly choss but some of the low down stuff has been washed by the waves into nice smooth rock similar to that of Portrane. I arrived at low tide and scrambled down to a small pebble cove with a cave at the back. The far walls were high cliff, I climbed down a shallow slab to the lip, the pebble beach was around 6feet below however the lip was very undercut. I stood there pondering if it was wise to jump down, my concern being getting back out. Suddenly my camera fell out of my pocket onto the beach and without any though I jumped down after it.

Soon as I landed I realised I was stuck. The walls overhung loads and were very smooth. The easiest spot to get back up was this steep and smooth runnel but it would be about 6c with rock shoes. I tried to build a platform out of stones and sand but it was never going to work. I wasn't panicking but was a little frantic. Tide was coming in a good rate so the only option was the swim. It wasn't far only about 10m to a ledge which I though I could get up on.

So I took the clothes off threw then up onto the ledge, I kept my shoes on for grip, my jocks for decency and my dryflow for warmt. The water was cold so I went in up to the waist and then came out and jumped around then got in and did the swim no problem. There was a little chop -3foot - so it was just a matter and timing when to go for the ledge.

Didn't feel cold when I got to the ledge, must of been the adrenaline as the water would of been 8degrees at the most. So it all turned out fine in the end but it could of been serious if the sea had been bigger or I had to swim a lot further to get out.

It was so stupid to jump in, I could of easily got the camera out using the strap from my pad.